Even after Brym had received some basic guarantees from Amautu, he had still remained confined within his shop's backyard for a good while longer. Only once Herak had left for the south had the young merchant finally been granted some room to operate again. With his new-found freedom, he could have left from Porcero with Atau's fleet and reached the relative safety of the south right away.

However, for now he still had much work left to do in the north. Instead of running away, Brym had waited until the fleet had reconnected their trade route from Porcero all the way to Saniya and then put together his own small expedition to cross the Sallqata Mountains once more.

In this manner he returned to Arguna, this time to establish a new shop in the wealthiest city of Medala, and to throw his diplomatic weight around. Over the previous year, his ability to talk with lords like Saliena and Betucio had already drawn attention from the nobles in the center, and now it was time to show off his talents on the biggest stage. To facilitate his goals, he had already set up several meeting with important figures of the empire before he had even reached the city. When he finally arrived, he had expected to be welcomed by someone of great weight since he was the representative of King Corco. His host still astonished him.

“Official Brym, what a pleasant surprise for us to meet in such a far-off place. I arrived in the city mere days prior. When I heard Official would come here as well, I took it as a convenient chance to meet up again.”

“Somehow, I doubt it is a surprise for either of us, Governor Betucio.”

Right at the entrance to the inner city, Betucio's own palanquin had waited for Brym, the governor inside. Among the many he had arranged meetings with, King Amautu was the most important. The governor must have been tasked by King Amautu to meet him here and make sure no one would stop the foreign merchant from entering the inner city. Of course, another reason must have been to throw him off balance and catch him unprepared right before their negotiations.

“Indeed it is not,” the governor answered, now in the relative privacy of the palanquin. “Official Brym, there are many issues to be discussed. As such, I would prefer if you could immediately follow along to my family's Arguna mansion to hold our talks right away. I understand that you must be tired from your journey, but as soon as word of your arrival spreads, the other lords will visit you one after another. You might not be aware, but the merchant with the mysterious, novel wares from Porcero is already a celebrity within the city. I am sure you would not want to enter talks with the lowliest lords before having established some basic agreement with King Amautu first.”

Although Betucio tried his best to unsettle him, Brym held on to his business smile without any trouble. By now he was sure that Amautu's people had planned all this out, to have the talks while he was tired and hungry from the journey. A good merchant was always prepared for a deal though, so Brym's trek had rested only an hour away from the city so he could eat and prepare for any meeting. Still, he at least wanted to put on some clean clothes. First impressions were the most important in business deals, after all.

“Lady Inti is the king's current representative in the city. I believe it proper to at least catch up with her before I speak with anyone.”

“There is no need to wait any longer. Lady Inti is already present at my manor.”

While Brym tried his hardest to prevent a frown, he looked at the sparse scenery of the inner city beyond the window to give himself some time to think. He was glad that Betucio was so eager to strike a deal, but the circumstances began to feel more and more strange. Why was Betucio so insistent? Why would Inti play along with the governor's games? However, there was precious little Brym could do about it at this point. He was already stuck in Betucio's palanquin. While his own people were behind them, he wasn't sure his handful of mercenaries would be enough to deal with a governor's personal guard.

Even worse, with his own insufficient cultivation, the merchant would be up against an elite Medalan warrior. Although he didn't know just how powerful Betucio was, he wasn't willing to risk their relationship and potentially his life on a hunch. Over the past months, Brym had done his best to establish amiable relations between himself and Amautu's faction, always with Betucio as an intermediary. Why would the lord suddenly lure him into a ambush? Even more, Brym was convinced that Betucio was not this kind of person, and Brym considered himself a decent judge of character. In the end, he decided to trust his instincts. That didn't mean he wouldn't continue to probe and get more information out of Betucio.

“You know, even if you wanted to show your hospitality, there really wasn't a reason for someone of Governor Betucio's status to welcome me personally. Won't it look bad if the Governor of the North plays weak in front of a simple warrior, a foreigner no less?”

Although he observed the lord with great scrutiny as he poked holes into his story, Brym couldn't find any hints of him looking flustered or guilty.

“In Arguna, the rules are a bit more complicated than that.” Betucio showed a strained smile instead. “Being a foreigner or a warrior wouldn't mean that you have lower status right away. After all, Official Brym is the official under the employ of a king, whose status would be half a step above my own. As for being foreigners... at this point, every one of the kings has surrounded himself with men from outside of Medala. Anyone who complains can only be called a hypocrite. Further, there are matters that should be discussed between us before we reach the mansion, which is why I had to come in person. To avoid any incidents, some issues should not be heard by everyone.”

“Oh, and what would those issues be?” Brym showed a soft smile in response to the governor's narrowed eyes, even though he felt more and more tense. Unlike Betucio however, the merchant never looked strained.

“Official Brym should have heard about the string of bandit attacks in the north over the past months, correct?”

“Ah, yes.” Brym stroked his non-existent beard. “There were rumors to that extent. I hear that on the northern trade route from Porcero to Arguna, there have been problems within some forest. It seems like trade caravans have disappeared, though some locals said it was the wrath of some local demon or other. Less fantastical but more credible, it appears as if on the western side of the mountains, barbarians from beyond the Sallqata Mountains have made their way past King Amautu's defenses and have caused quite some trouble as well.”

Rather than join in on Brym's gossip, Betucio only stared harder.

“...Official Brym would not know anything about these incidents, would he?”

“Why would I know anything about these things? I'm just some lowly official. I haven't even had the chance to leave Porcero since the arrival of the Arcavian ships. In truth, I didn't hear about this bandit issue for the full season I was locked up in my shop. Only when we put together our own expedition were we informed by some of the locals that we might run into trouble on our trip.”

“And Official seems to be fine, despite taking a route through a forest infested with bandits and demons. It appears the trade caravan of the southern kingdom was not attacked by these bandit groups at all.”

“Yes, we did indeed get lucky.” Brym nodded his head with a satisfied look on his face.

“Official Brym.” With an annoyed sigh, Betucio righted his posture. “If we wish to have a proper cooperation, we should be open with one another. There is no reason to play games and sour our relationship.”

“I don't plan to sour anything.” Despite his sharper tone, Brym still retained his smile. “Aren't half of those bandit attacks caused by northern barbarians? You aren't suggesting that I or any of my men made a trip west, into King Amautu's territory, and then north through the mountains, are you? And when we made our way through all of King Amautu's lands, undetected, we looked for allies among people whose language we don't even understand, and coordinated attacks against trade caravans with them?”

“Nothing of the sort. Even so, the attacks around Ancash Forest seem far too well organized and the bandits there are far too well-equipped. They surely have a strong backer. Do not forget that Eastern Medala is also King Amautu's territory, so you should tread with caution.”

As they were talking, the palanquin had entered Lord Betucio's private estate, the goal of their journey.

“Well, after the incidents during the succession war, it is fact that our wolf mercenaries have become well-known for their ferocity. I'm sure these bandits were put off by the reputation of the white devil mercenaries, which is why we made it through there despite my relatively weak entourage.”

Brym pretended to think for a while, before he presented a solution that would let him continue to deny his involvement with the Latrus bandits.

“How about this: We can loan out a few of King Corco's men for your own caravans. This way, these bandits will see the white devils, so you can safely travel through that forest yourselves. But I don't have many mercenaries at my disposal, and I'm responsible for their security as well. Be aware that I'm risking my position here.”

“Of course, Official Brym. I will be in your debt.”

Still embroiled in their conversation, they entered the halls of the Betucio Mansion. As they walked, they took a short break, consisting of Brym flattering the lord on his sense for interior design, mostly. Despite his calm demeanor, the merchant had no idea what would happen next. Somewhere in here, he would meet Inti, and possibly further representatives from Amautu's side, for proper negotiations. The bandit issue was just a little aperitif, barely of importance in the grand scheme of things, but it was still one Brym considered won. However, the merchant still didn't know the reason behind Betucio's secrecy, or why they had talked about the bandits on the way here already. As a last resort, he decided to be a bit more direct than usual.

“I wonder why we couldn't meet elsewhere? Since we represent the two kings, shouldn't we be meeting in one of their residences, or right in the palace?” Although Brym was his big brother's disciple and didn't really care for the formal rules of Medala, he was still aware that most of the lords were very adamant about them. It was a bad idea to not play by them and risk offending some of Corco's allies. Although he lightly insinuated his poor treatment to his host in an attempt for more information, Betucio only looked uncomfortable and dodged the question.

“Please excuse me, Official Brym. However, the circumstances have forced this lord's hand, so matters had to be handled with care to avoid detection. Please be understanding. This way please.”

Although Brym still wasn't any smarter than he had been, he didn't question the lord further. He had always been good at reading people, and while Betucio had gotten more and more uncomfortable at his repeated probes, the governor didn't seem to have malicious intentions. Still, the chance for some sort of sneak attack could never be disregarded. Maybe someone had forced Betucio into a scheme, or maybe the governor was unaware of someone else's machinations. While he thought, Brym calmly stuck his hands into his wide, Medala-style sleeves, his right gripped around his wheel-lock pistol.

“Whatever the circumstances are, Lord Betucio, I am sure you have your reasons. I don't mind the secrecy. At least we won't have to deal with all those palace officials here.”

Ready to jump to the side and take the governor as hostage in his own home, Brym followed into a spacious salon, warmed by a grand fireplace. However, the other two guests stunned him so much he almost lost grip on his weapon. Of course, Inti was there to represent Corco's side, but the second guest of Betucio's wasn't someone Brym had ever expected to meet outside of the palace.

“The officials are not here because this king risks his reputation by meeting with a common warrior, and a barbarian no less. After all, this king's support stems from the wise scholars of the west and they would not want me associated with the likes of you.”

There, on the best seat in the house and across from Inti, sat Amautu Secundu Pluritac, King of the North. Brym's eyes widened for a second as he understood the implication of Amautu's words. Although he complained about their difference in status, this was a rare chance to talk away from prying eyes, about much, much more than he had initially planned.

“Official Brymstock di Pluritac greets the King of the North.”

After he corrected his rare slip-up in expression, Brym's eyes turned stern and he lowered his head in a perfect bow.

“Very well, you may raise your head,” the king said. “Please enter, there are many matters to discuss.”

From atop the walls of his city, Lord Makipura watched as the last vestiges of King Pacha's army disappeared over the western hills.

Now that the king's men had left his territory, Makipura could breathe easy at last. Although being host to a king should have been an honor, King Pacha's great warriors had proven to be nothing more than locusts, acting like invaders rather than guests. After they had emptied all of his granaries and displaced all of his farmhands, at last they had moved on to do their dirty deeds further west. At least the southern king's landing had still been in time, so some of Makipura's foundation remained. He would suffer during the next harvest and he had to eat into his treasury to get his warriors through the winter, but the worst was over. Still, despite his distaste for Pacha's horde, the lord didn't mind a northern win, so long as it was quick.

In truth, he didn't care much about the conflict between the two kings. As a lord on the border between Sachay and Sinchay, he had plenty of contact with both southerners and northerners and didn't mind the shallow differences in culture. On the other hand, he was also perpetually stuck on the front line of any battle. Since the northerners were usually the aggressors and couldn't get past Qarasi Castle, they would naturally spend most of their time in his lands, to Makipura's detriment. If this infernal war didn't end soon, it would spell even more disaster for his lands.

With these thoughts in mind, Makipura retreated back into his mansion to begin the rebuilding process of his deserted lands, and to organize the defense against a potential counter attack from Qarasi Castle. Although Pacha had left some troops behind to take care of their encampment, he had pushed most of the work onto Makipura and his men. At least they had been excused from any more frontline fighting. At this point, the lord was mentally drained and didn't even care that Pacha's poor impression of him would only net him a small portion of any loot at the end of the war. He really was just happy if those mighty kings had stopped forcing their wills on him.

However, his wishes had been too bold, it seemed. As soon as he entered his private study, he found a suspicious letter atop his desk. It was sealed with the Triquetra, the imperial sigil of House Pluritac. To Makipura, the thing exuded a malevolent aura like no piece of paper before it. How foolish Makipura had been. Of course the arrogant young king Pacha wouldn't leave without a final jab at his honor. The lord took a deep breath and opened the letter, expecting to be exposed to more of King Pachacutec's tirades and threats.